The problem with all current electric cars — Tesla’s Roadster and Model S, Nissan’s Leaf, Toyota’s electric Prius, and so forth — is that the infrastructure of today doesn’t yet support the cars of tomorrow. But without the early adopters of these vehicles, there will be no demand to build the infrastructure required.

The Nissan Leaf, for instance, will be great around a densely-populated city, provided you remember to charge it at night like you already do with your phone. But in a more sparsely-distributed city or in the suburbs, it’s substantially less effective. Range, charging time, and infrastructure support will get better with time, but these cars are being sold today. These criticisms are valid today, despite Elon Musk’s protests.